The Dillon tribune., 1887-09-09
CURIOUS AND COSTLY CUSTOM.

People Showcrcd with Gold D:.s.-How
Mexican Maidcns Make y "Mash."
Many interesting stories could be told Of
the cascarone balls of tho past, but only
one will bc mentioned rs IN instance Of
the popularity of this peculiar feature OF
the balls. On one occasion, at a ball given
at the residence of Don Jose Abrego, Pete
Serrano, then o muchacho, was on hand
selling cascarones. A gentleman ap.
preached and asked what he would take
for his cascarones.
Zone dollar a DOZEN" was the answer.
''Hcv many have youf" was tho next
inquiry.
''Forty Dozen"
"All right, I'll take them"
Taking the basket he started down the
hall, but had not taken dozen steps when
he was surrounded by n number of young
ladies', and in n moment oil hands were
diving into the basket, coming out with
double handfuls and crashing them on his
head. while he manfully strove to return
a few Of the compliments lie received. In
five minutes not one of the forty dozen
cascaroncs remained whole.
Tho modus operandi of cascaronc max
ing is very simple, and about as follow:
Into an empty cggshcll-wholc, except ior
an opening in one end just large enough
to remove the original contents-is placed
about II teaspoonful of finely chopped pa
per of various bright colors and gold tin
sci; then the opening Is neatly closed by
pasting piece of cOlored paper over it.,
and then the cascarone is all ready for ,lse
In Mexico, in the good old times, gold
dust mixed with diamond dust was often
used to I'LL the egg shells ut the swell fam
dangOes given by the old granlccs And
1t is done occasionally nowadays by some
of tho wealthy old tons who wish to do
the thing up in style.
Another way of filling the shells was to
use finely perfumel powder, and some-
times rare and costly perfumes were used.
Very often the shells were beautifully
decorated and sometimes hand painted.
In Monterey, before the decline of the Gus
tom, the shells were often colorcd in fan.
ciful designs, like Easter eggs, and ut 9th
er times tastefully decorated with differ
ent co!ors Of paper. Chopped paper and
tinscl were usually put in the shells, but
on more than one occasion gold dollar
pieces were uscd-onc in each shell.
Spicetl candy was often used, and some
times powder and pcrfumcry. House
wives rcligiously save tho shells of all the
eggs they use and put them away until
N"S>"AoAAS SSt%Sou UIOultl
In cascarone breaking it is not ncces.
sary that one should bc actuainted-in
fact, it is II sort Of ''mushing" proceeding
all through. The act of breaking II cas-.
carOne ON anothcr's head is to be consid,
cred IL compliment by the recipient, who
is in honor bound to return it ut the first
opportunity. Tho proper way to break
them is to crush the shell in the hand
over the persons head, allowing it's con.
tents to fall on the head. In the excite
mcnt, however, the shell is more fire.
qucntly broken Oh the head. regardless OF
locality or force used. and l.; oftentimcs
suggestive Of anything but un,inblc feel
ing on the part Of the bcstowcr When
the ice is once broken hy some auventur
Gus maiden or plucky man the contago,
soon spreads, and in IL very short timt
everybody is chasing around the room
breaking cascaroncs in,liscriminatcly ant
receiving, them from all sides. Thcs,
mock battles usually occur betwcel
tlanccs.-Montcrcy lCal.) Argus